HB524 confirms the intent of legislators who in
2013 voted 99-0 in the House and 39-1 in the Senate to protect the privacy
rights of teachers from public release of test scores with their names
identified.

Language in HB524 strikes a proper balance
between the privacy rights of teachers and the ability of local school
administrators and school boards to exercise supervision over their employees.

Without the language embedded in HB524, school
officials may be compelled to provide, upon FOIA request, identifiable records
of teachers with student test score data—an outcome that clearly was not the
intent of legislators in 2013.

Public release of test score information, with
teacher names identified, would have extremely adverse effects on school
climate and cause major disruptions to school administration, with no clear
benefit for students.

SB564 Talking Points

Virginia’s teachers deserve the same
professional treatment accorded such professions as law and medicine.

The records maintained by licensing bodies for
attorneys, doctors, veterinarians and others are protected from public
disclosure.

Similarly, teacher license application and
investigation records of teachers should remain with the licensing body and not
subject to FOIA.

The protection accorded by SB524 serves a public
interest by supporting complete and accurate provision of application and
investigative records by a teacher candidate to the board, with the assurance
that the information would not be misused by the media or in a public forum.

At a time when Virginia struggles to attract
sufficient candidates for careers in public service, SB524 would at least
remove one potential barrier for teachers.

The public is better served by making the
teaching profession an attractive and rewarding career for those considering
it.

Please support these bills to
bring fairness to the teacher dismissal procedures by allowing school boards
the option of utilizing a three-person panel chaired by the hearing officer,
requiring that the hearing officer not be an active or retired school board
employee or relative of a school board employee, and requiring that hearing
officers be appointed in a public meeting after the opportunity for public
comment prior to appointment.

WE URGE YOU TO OPPOSE

Charter
School Constitutional Amendment (See January 18th posting on this
blog.)